Tipped cigarette



Jan. 3, 1950 'r. R. ATKINS 33,493,436 TIPPED CIGARETTE Filed Nov. 27, 1945 Patented Jan. 3, 1950 TIBPED CIGARETTE Thomas R. Atkins, Saugua,Massvassignon-of' one-half to Lawrie L. Witter, Boston, Mass.

Application November 27, 1945;.SerialNo. 68130001 3 Claims.

This invention relates to cigarettes and more particularly to a novel cigarette provided with a tubular smoking tip normally telescoped thereonto but movable outwardly to smoking position. Cigarettes are commonly constructed with open ends and with usable tobacco throughout the full length to such ends. A substantial portion of the butt ends is not only wasted and thrown away but furthermore the direct contact of the open end with the smokers mouth permits tobacco particles to enter the mouth and the objectionable intermingling of tobacco with saliva. The primary object of my invention resides in the production of a, novel and inexpensive smoking tip telescoped onto the cigarette and adapted to eliminate these objections and waste and render substantially the entire cigarette usable.

My invention particularly contemplates the die-cutting of a tip blank from paper stock, the rolling of the same into tubular form onto one end of the cigarette and the employment of a tab, preferably integral with the blank, for permitting telescoping movement of the tip outwardly to a predetermined smoking position on the cigarette. A tipped cigarette of this nature comprises a further object of the invention.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of ilustration and shown in the accompanying drawing in which,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a cigarette tipped in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 illustrates the tip as partially withdrawn,

Fig. 3 ilustrates the tip as Wholly withdrawn to the smoking position,

Fig. 4 illustrates in plan the method of tipping the cigarettes in accordance with my invention, and

Fig. 5 is a side elevation thereof.

In the drawing, I0 indicates a cigarette having a tubular smoking tip l2 telescoped over one end and attached to the cigarette by a flexible tab 22. The method of forming the tip and assembling it onto the cigarette are ilustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.

As illustrated in the drawing, the tip is constructed from sheet material, as from a strip I 4 of suitable paper. This strip I4 is fed on an endless belt conveyor l5, passing around a supporting roll Hi, to a die-cutting station l8 where tip blanks 20 are consecutively cut therefrom. Each blank is of substantially rectangular configuration and has a finger-like tab 22 projecting laterally from one of its side margins. The

blanks are fed from the conveyor I 5 to a conveyor 24 which conducts the blanks to a tip applying station 26.

Cigarettes ID are fed to the tip applying station 26 synchronously with the feeding of the blanks 20' thereto and adhesive is suitably applied at 28 to the free end of the tab 22 and to one end of the blank at 30 preferably between the stations I 8 and 26, any known means such as adhesive applicators 32 and 34 being provided for this purpose. The cigarettes and blanks are timed to arrive simultaneously at the station 26 and the cigarette is thereupon rotated in a manner wrapping the blank around the cigarette in the relation illustrated in Fig. 4. In such relation the tab is adhesively applied to the cigarette at 28 and the blank is formed into a tube I2 and its end adhesively attached to the tube at 30. The tube is then moved telescopically onto the cigarette to the position indicated at 36 wherein the adjacent outer ends of the cigarette and tube are substantially coincident, as by a reciprocating plunger 38.

The paper stock I4 is sufiiciently flexible to permit the tab 22 to buckle onto itself when the tip is moved to the flush end position 36 by the plunger 38 and the blank 20 is preferably of a length to pass twice around the cigarette and thereby provide a sufficiently rigid tube for the purpose described. The cigarettes are packaged in the fully telescoped form illustrated in Fig. 1 and the tip I2 is drawn out to the position of Fig. 3 when the cigarette is to be smoked.

The tips I2 can be made of an attractive and contrasting color and will in some cases be made to correspond to lipstick color whereby the cigarettes can be smoked without leaving visible and objectionable lipstick smudge. The tips provide a cleaner and longer smoke and when used with cigarettes of standard length they provide a smoking period substantially equal to that of the king size cigarette. It will furthermore be apparent that my invention makes possible the manufacture of briefs which will have a tobacco content portion substantially shorter than but give a. smoking period substantially equal to the standard cigarette.

Having now disclosed my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A cigarette comprising a column of tobacco, a paper tube surrounding said tobacco, a relatively shorter and tubular smoking tip telescoped over one end ofthe tube, and flexible anchoring 5 means disposed on one side only, exteriorly,

laterally and between the ends of the tube and attached at its two ends to the tube and the tip respectively, said means permitting telescoping movement of the tip outwardly beyond said one end of the tube but so limiting such movement that the tip remains partially telescoped over the tube.

2. The cigarette defined in claim 1 in which said flexible means comprises a thin sheet having one end adhesively attached to the outer side wall of the tube.

3. The cigarette defined in claim 1 in which said tip comprises sheet material which embodies said flexible means as an integral part thereof, said flexible means extending from and attached to that extremity of the tip which is remote from its mouth end.

THOMAS R. ATKINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Number 15 301,484

,- UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Koerner May 13, 1913 Gottlieb Mar. 31, 1931 Pikulski June 21, 1932 Bluhm Dec. 10, 1940 Klingel Jan. 18, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany Oct. 2'7, 191'! 

